Elevator door bridge



March 27, 1956 J. POPE ELEVATOR DOOR BRIDGE 2 Sheets-Sheet l ilecl June 12, 1952 O LEWIS J'. PoPE INVENTOR ATTORNEYS March 27, 1956 Filed June ca -42w L. J. POPE ELEVATOR DOOR BRIDGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 LEWIS l POPE. NVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS ELEVATQR DQQR ERIDGE Lewis 5. Pope, Charlotte, N. '5.

Application June 12, 1952, Seriai No. 293,1t17

2 Claims. (Ci. 29-19) This invention relates to elevators and more especially to a bridge or sill adapted to be associated with freight elevators to bridge the gap normally existing between the elevator floor and a platform or floor adjacent which the elevator is adapted to move.

it is the primary object of this invention to provide an elevator bridge mechanism of the type described and which automatically moves into operative position to bridge the gap between the elevator floor and a platform as the elevator doors are opened and which, conversely, automatically moves to inoperative position with the closing of the doors.

it is another object of this invention to provide a simple and economically constructed elevator bridge of the type described, wherein the elevator bridge is carried by the lowermost of the usual vertically movable doors or gates associated with a freight elevator, and which is disposed exteriorly of said doors so as to not take up valuable space within the elevator cab.

It is still another object of this invention to provide an elevator bridge of the character described comprising a bridge plate pivotally supported by the lowermost of the usual pair of doors or gates which normally close the opening adjacent which the elevator stops at each floor of a building and wherein links are utilized to pivotally connect the bridge plate to the door and cam means carried by the frame defining said opening cause the bridge plate to automatically move into operative position to close the gap normally existing between the elevator floor and a platform or the building floor as the said lowermost door is lowered so that its upper edge is disposed at substantially the same level as the floor of the elevator and the building floor.

It is another object of this invention to provide an ele vator bridge mechanism of the type last described in which the means for controlling the position of the elevator door bridge plate is so arranged as to permit the same to efficiently bridge the gap between the elevator cab fioor and the building floor even while a substantial degree of mis-alinement exists therebetween. As is well known, this mis-alinement may exist as a result of careless operation of the elevator car or by the shifting of the elevator as the load is added or withdrawn.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an isometric view showing the improved elevator door bridge in operative position in association with an elevator and showing the opening in the wall of a building with the cam means for controlling the position of the door bridge secured to opposite vertical walls of said opening;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional plan view, with parts broken away, taken substantially along the line 2 2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an inverted isometric view of the elevator bridge plate disassociated from the elevator;

2,739,354 Federated Mar. 27, 1956 Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view through the improved elevator bridge mechanism taken substantially along the line 44 in Figure 1 and showing the same in operative position;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the elevator gates or doors in closed position and showing the elevator bridge mechanism in inoperative position;

Figure 6 is another view similar to Figure 4 and showing the lower elevator gate or door in partially opened position;

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation taken substantially along the line 7--7 in Figure 5 showing parts in section and parts broken away for purposes of clarity.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 19 indicates one of the floors of a building having a vertical wall 11 therein which is cut away to form an elevator doorway defined by door jambs 12 and 13. The doorway is normally closed by a pair of vertically movable upper and lower doors or gates 14 and 15, only a portion of the upper door 14 being shown in Figure 5.

The doors l4 and 15 may be of the usual type which move apart from each other or toward each other simultaneously so that, when closed, they meet substantially at the vertical center of the doorway. The doors 14 and 15 are mounted for vertical sliding movement in suitable tracks 29, shown in the form of channel bars in Figure 2, and which are suitably secured to opposite side walls 21 of an elevator shaft in which an elevator cab, broadly designated at 22, is mounted for vertical movement. The elevator has side walls 23, 24 and a bottom or elevator floor 25. The edges of the walls 23, 2d and floor 25 of the elevator 22 are necessarily spaced from the door jarn'bs 12, i3 and the building floor iii thus leaving a gap therebetween.

In order to span the gap normally existing between the adjacent edges of the building floor it} and the elevator iioor 25, there is provided an improved elevator door bridge mechanism comprising an elongated bridge plate 39 which is preferably made from relatively heavy gauge sheet metal and has its longitudinal side edges extending downwardly so that the central longitudinal portion thereof is normally disposed at a higher elevation than opposite edges thereof when the bridge plate 3%) is in horizontal position as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4.

The bridge plate 3h extends laterally substantially the full length of the floor 25 between the walls 23, 24 of the elevator 23?; and is sufiiciently wide to amply bridge the gap normally existing "between the elevator car and the adjacent platform or building floor iii. The bridge plate 38 is connected to the outer surface of the lower door 15, relative to the elevator 22, by two or more links 33, which are shown as being relatively wide (Figures 3 and 7). Each of the links 33 is pivotally connected to the inner or bottom face of the bridge plate 1% by any suitable means such as a pivot shaft 34 fixed in blocks 35 suitably secured to the lower surface of the bridge plate 30.

The opposite corresponding ends of the links 33 are pivotally connected to the door i5 as by pivot pins 36 and 37 (Figure '7) associated with each of the links 33 and which are fixed in blocks 38 and 39 disposed astride the corresponding links 33 and being suitably secured to the door 15.

The operating mechanism for the improved elevator door bridge comprises a pair of upright cam or guide plates or blocks 4% and d3 suitably secured to the proximal surfaces of the respective door jambs 12 and 13, as by screws 42. Each of the cam plates of blocks 4-0, ill has a cam groove therein generally designated at 4-3 and which groove is formed with an upper leg 44 and a lower leg 45. It will be thus observed in Figures 1 and 4 to 6, inclusive, that the upper end of each of the upper legs 44 of the grooves 43 is disposed at a point closely adjacent the upper ends of the corresponding plates 40, 41 and spaced somewhat from the outer surface of the door 15. The legs 44 then extend downwardly and outwardly at an angle and communicate with the upper ends of the corresponding lower legs 45' of the cam grooves 43. These lower legs then extend downwardly and inwardly at an angle so the two legs 44 and 45 extend in diverging relation to each other from their juncture.

Each of the cam plates or blocks 40, 41 has an enlarged cavity 46.therein disposed at the junctures of the corresponding legs 44, 45 of the cam grooves 43. It will be noted that each of the cam plates or blocks 40, 41 also has an enlarged horizontally extending groove 47 therein which communicates with the lower end of the leg 45 of the corresponding cam groove 43.

Mounted for movement longitudinally in the cam grooves 43 of the cam plates or blocks 40, 41 are cam followers 5%, preferably in the form of rollers, these cam followers 59 being of diameters only slightly less than the general width of the legs 44, 45 of the cam grooves 43. The cavities 45 at the junctures of the legs 44, 45 of the cam grooves 43 are necessarily somewhat larger in diameter than the diameters of the corresponding cam followers 50.

The followers Stl are connected to substantially L- shaped follower arms or guide arms 51 which extend inwardly at a slight angle relative to the bridge plate 34) and are suitably secured to the bridge plate 30 as by screws 52 (Figures 2 and 7).

Method of operation Assuming the doors 14 and 15 occupy the position shown in Figure 5; as the door 15 is lowered, the followers 59 move outwardly as they traverse the upper legs 44 of the cam grooves 43. This causes the outer or lower curved edge of the bridge plate 30 to swing outwardly about the pivot pins 36 and 37 until the doors occupy substantially the position shown in Figure 6. At this point, the followers 50 engage the bottom walls of the cavities 46 at the junctures of the. legs 44, 45 of the cam grooves 43 and, since the brackets 51 are connected to the bridge plate 30 at a point adjacent the hinge pins 34, of course, the link 33 also pivots with the bridge plate 33 about the pivot pins 36 and 37.

Thus, as the door 15 continues its downward movement the inwardly and downwardly inclined legs 45 of the cam grooves 43 cause the bridge plate 30 to gradually move to a substantially horizontal position, as shown in Figure 4, which position the bridge plate 30 occupies as the cam followers 50 approach the bottoms of the legs 45 of the cam grooves 43 and enter the horizontal grooves 47. It will be noted that, as the door 15 moves fromthe closed position shown in Figure 5.: to the fully opened position shown in Figure 4, the links 33 move through an arc of substantially 180 degrees and, since the doors 14 and 15 are usually spaced slightly from the door jambs 12 and 3 at the edge of the building floor adjacent the elevator 25, there is ample room between the door and the building floor 10 to accommodate the links 33.

The links 33 are connected to the bridge plate 3.0: at a point spaced from the lower edge thereof in Figure 5 so that when the bridge plate 30 is in the horizontal position shown in Figure 4, the corresponding edge there of will rest upon the building floor 10 and the other edge thereof will rest upon the elevator floor 25.

Now, in the event that the elevator floor is misalined relative to the building floor or platform 10, the bridge plate may pivot about the upper ends of the links 33, in Figure 4, as the links 33 also pivot about the blocks and 41, since the horizontal grooves 47, which communicate with the lower ends of. the lower legs ofthe cam grooves 43,.willv permit the followers to move horizontally to permit the bridge'plate to adjust 4 itself to various angles depending upon the position of the elevator floor 25 relative to the building floor 10.

It is to be noted that thewalls of the lower legs 45 of the cam grooves 43 are rounded at their juncture with the corresponding horizontal grooves 47 to thereby insure that the cam followers 50 will rise from the grooves 47 into the lower legs 45 of the cam grooves 43 when the door 15 is moved from the opened or lowered position shown in Figure 4 to the raised or closed position shown in Figure 5.

ltis evident that the followers 50 operate to swing the bridge plate 3t) outwardly and downwardly relative to the door 15 as it is moved from opened to closed position and as the cam followers 50 engage the upper walls of the cavities 46.

It is to be noted that the operating mechanism for the bridge plate 30 is positioned exteriorly of the elevator cab 22 and the entire elevator door bridge mechanism is positioned exteriorly of the lower door 15 relative to the elevator shaft so as to not interfere with the. operation of any parts which may be disposed interiorly of the door 15 and to also make all of the space in the elevator cab 22 available for storage purposes.

It is thus seen that I have provided an improved elevator bridge mechanism comprising a bridge plate wherein mechanical means are provided to automatically move the bridge plate to an operative position or to an inoperative position as the lower door 15 is moved to opened and closed positions, respectively.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. An improved bridge plate for an elevator having upper and lower vertically movable doors, comprising V-shaped guide means on the door jambs adjacent the lower door, guide arms extending between the guide means and the bridge plate for moving the same, a pair of links pivotally connected at one of their ends to the outer surface of the lower elevator door, one adjacent each end thereof, and at points spaced below the upper edge of said door, the other ends of said links being pivotally connected to the bridge plate at points intermediate the width of the bridge plate, said links being of such length that the upper edge of the bridge plate will not extend above the upper edge of the lower elevator door when the sameis in raised position, the guide means causing the bridge plate to move into closely spaced parallel relation to the lower elevator door upon said door being raised, and also causing the bridge plate to move outwardly away from the lower door as the lower door is lowered until the guide arms reach the apices of theV-shaped guide means, and as the door is additionally lowered the bridge plate will move inwardly in a horizontal are over the top of the lower elevator door.

2. An improved bridge plate for an elevator having door jambs and a vertically movable door, comprising said door jambs having V-shaped guide grooves therein, guide arms each having one end positioned in the grooves for sliding movement and the other end connected to the bridge plate for moving the same, a pair of links pivotally connected at one of their ends to the outer surface of the elevator door, one adjacent each end thereof, and at points spaced below the upper edge of said door, the other ends. of said links being pivotally connected to the bridge plate, said linksbeing of such length that the upper edge of the. bridge plate; will not extend above. theupper edgeof the elevator door when the same is in raised position, and the guide grooves causing the. bridge plate to move into closely spaced parallel relation to. the elevator door upon said door being raised and also causing the bridge plate to move outwardly away from the elevator door as the door is lowered until the guide arms reach the apices of the guide grooves and as the door is additionally lowered the bridge plate will move inwardly in a horizontal are over the top of the elevator door.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Doren Aug. 31, 1915 Kuehlhorn Jan. 20, 1920 Alexander June 7, 1938 Alexander June 14, 1949 

